Family
by Elioubi
Summary: Family - In the context of wizard society, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity (by recognized birth), affinity (by marriage), or co-residence and/or shared consumption. Source: Wizipedia
1. Part I: Rose Weasley

Writer's note: I am indescribably excited to have a wish come true: finally my story will be read and I hope it will engross, inspire, stir and emotionally captivate its readers. Enjoy!

A great THANK YOU to my bestest friends and biggest supporters: Nadia, Katerina, Efi! For sharing my excitement, cheering for me, spurring me on, shouting at me every time I even considered giving this up and encouraging me to keep on writing. Thank you, thank you, thank you!


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

"Well, Rose and I will get married.", Scorpius put his arm around Rose's shoulders, startling her out of her thoughts.

"Only in your dreams, Malfoy.", she said, brushing his arm off, a smile playing on her lips. Normally she would have been sharper with him, but today was the day after Christmas and she was enjoying the family time too much, even with Scorpius around. Old habits die hard though, and Rose found herself falling back into their familiar banter. "Like I could ever be with someone as arrogant, conceited..."

"Handsome, smart, loveable..."

"You just grab any opportunity to start bragging about yourself, don't you Hyperion?", Rose had started using Scorpius' middle name as soon as she found out about it. It had stopped being funny though the moment Scorpius had begun calling her by her own middle name.

"Oh, I just thought we were listing my best qualities, Nymphadora."

The slight giggles that had been going on throughout their conversation turned into outright laughs. Rose hated the effect Scorpius had on them; it seemed like he could always say the right thing and immediately bewitch them. Rose, on the other hand, seemed to give off a bitchy vibe more often than not. Only her family and close friends knew her loving self. It was a good thing her family was so big.

Now her cousins and brother had started recounting the events of Christmas Eve to Scorpius. Today it was just James, Al and Lily Potter, but two days ago their whole family had gathered at the Burrow to celebrate Christmas - it was their annual tradition.

"And then James and Fred decided to play Quidditch with gobstones! The whole room reeked and everyone was covered in that stinky liquid by the time grandma stepped in and called things off!" Al's face had a huge smile on at the memory. Then he turned to Rose with his eyebrows raised. "Of course Rose didn't play."

"What, and get drenched in that gross fluid? As opposed to you, I don't marvel in smelling like a swine."

"Come on Rose, it would have been fun if you played.", Lily chimed in.

"Of course it would have been a hilarious sight, watching me fumble with the broom while the rest of you threw gobstones at me."

"If you had let me teach you how to fly, you wouldn't be 'fumbling' with the broom.", James told her.

Lily looked down playfully at him. She was sitting on her bed with Rose, Scorpius and Al, while James and Hugo rested on the floor. "Because we all know what a patient teacher you are, big bro."

James threw a sock that was lying on the floor at her. Lily's room wasn't exactly neat, but it was definitely cleaner than James and Al's. Lily caught the sock before it reached her face and threw it over at Hugo, who was too absorbed in his own thoughts to catch it properly.

"Oi Hugo, where's your head at?", James brushed the sock from Hugo's hair.

Rose smiled adoringly at her brother. Hugo had a habit of daydreaming, getting lost in his thoughts. She wondered what was on his mind now. Maybe one of his latest inventions. Hugo didn't put his intelligence to use the same way Rose did. While she spent her time studying, something that had earned her the title of Prefect this year, Hugo didn't much care about grades and titles. To outsiders he might seem a bit aloof, but everyone in their family knew how excited he got over his creations. Giving shape to his crazy ideas fascinated him immensely. James and Fred kept begging him to help them with their pranks, but Hugo had yet to satisfy their desire, much to their dismay.

Rose's thoughts were interrupted by a tap on the window. Every head turned to look at the black owl holding a letter in its beak.

"Oh, that's for me." Rose sat up to open the window, but Al and Scorpius were faster. While Albus held Rose back, Scorpius took the letter from the owl and opened it.

"Hey, that's personal!", Rose shouted.

"Read it, Scorp!", Lily urged him on. "Who's it from?"

"It's from Anna Krum.", Scorpius cleared his throat and started reading in a high-pitched voice. "Dearest Rose,

I hope your Christmas was as great as mine! We went skiing on the Alps with my family and there I met a very attractive boy named Hans."

"Ooooh...", everyone started catcalling, while Rose turned a bright red colour and tried wrestling out of Al's grip.

"Of course, he's not as handsome as Albus...", Scorpius continued, at which even more whistling and cheering ensued. Everyone knew Anna had a crush on Albus, she had spent a part of her summer holidays with them and they had all gotten to know and like her.

While Albus was smiling victoriously, Rose managed to escape his grip and race towards Scorpius, who held the letter high above his head and continued reading.

"Me and Hans kissed under the moonlight..."

"Give that back, Malfoy!", Rose tried to reach the letter but since Scorpius was a head taller it was rather a lost cause.

"And made love under the starlit sky...", Rose climbed on the bedside table, but Scorpius started retreating. Without thinking she jumped on him, putting her legs around his waist, and tried pulling his arm down.

A sudden knock on the door cut the howls of laughter short. Rose managed to climb down before her aunt entered. Ginny looked at Scorpius, who had put the letter behind his back.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Draco sent a message for you to return home. He says your grandfather is over for dinner."

Everyone sobered at that and after Ginny closed the door they all looked back at Scorpius.

"Well, that's going to be an interesting dinner.", Scorpius' voice dripped with sarcasm. Everyone in Hogwarts knew the special interest Lucius had taken in his grandson. Draco had made it clear that he didn't want Scorpius anywhere near Lucius or dark magic, making sure to avoid meeting with him apart from special occasions. Christmas holidays was one of those.

It seemed like the temperature in the room had suddenly dropped. Rose snatched the letter from Scorpius' hands and read it through. "You liar. She doesn't say anything about 'making love in the moonlight'."

Scorpius gave her that infamous lopsided smile of his. "Well, I had to make it interesting somehow. I guess I'm not surprised that your correspondence is so dull."

"As opposed to your correspondence, which is nonexistent."

"Guys...Don't start." They both turned at Al's exasperated voice. Scorpius sighed.

"Don't worry, mate. I anyway have to get going."

Rose hated that Scorpius could follow through on their peacemaking better than her. She hated that he got to her more than she got to him. That he could dismiss her with a sigh, that he could stop their fights whenever he felt like it. That he had more control over it than her. She was jealous and resentful.

"Oh, and James, you have congratulations from Anna on landing that job with the Falcons. She says you'd better be in the world cup when she starts playing for Bulgary.", Scorpius said with a wink.

"Oh, I'll be waiting for her."

Rose turned red in anger. She could have said that to James herself. Did Scorpius think she wouldn't have? Or did he just do it to piss her off? How could he always steal the attention and glory whenever he was around? She felt like she dimmed just by being in the same room with him.


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

"Is it just me, or do you also think there's something weird going on with Hugo?", Lily said as soon as they had the compartment to themselves. They were on their way to Hogwarts and it was the first time since the beginning of Christmas holidays that Rose had some alone time with her cousin.

"I don't know, I didn't notice anything out of place. Maybe a bit more aloofness...?" Rose looked uncertainly at Lily. She didn't like admitting it, but Lily probably knew Hugo better than she did. It was only natural though. They were both one year younger than her and had been hanging out with each other more than anyone else in their family.

"Exactly!" Lily's eyes widened the way they did when she was trying to make a point. "And not only that. Usually he just can't shut up about his crazy ideas, but now he's all hush hush all of a sudden."

"Someone's feeling left out...", Rose said with her usual sarcasm.

Lily pursed her lips in annoyance. "Hey, Hugo always tells me about his inventions. Actually he tells me everything that's on his mind, so I'm bound to worry when he suddenly gets all cryptic." She sighed and looked out the window. "Or maybe he's just not interested in confiding in me anymore. Do you think we're growing apart?"

Lily's eyes were still focused on the scenery outside the window, but Rose could see some sadness and fear in them. She felt a familiar pang in her chest. She knew what her cousin felt.

"You know, people don't stay the same forever. You change, he changes, so your relationship is going to have to adjust. It's not necessarily bad. It's just different."

Lily looked back at Rose. "I know, I understand, but is it very silly of me to think we can still be inseparable like we were a few years back?"

"Hey, it's not silly at all. Do you know how long I kept hoping Al would stop hanging out with Scorpius so that it would be just the two of us again? No such luck, though." Rose rolled her eyes in mock disdain, her spirits lifting at hearing Lily's laugh. "It's just that you're both growing up. You're in different Houses, have different friends, different lessons. But that's not the end of it. I mean, you're still family, for Merlin's sake. You'll always have each other."

Lily smiled with a playful glint in her eyes. "Or maybe his Ravenclaw brilliance is just tired of waiting for my humble Slytherin mind to catch up..."

Rose huffed. "Yeah right, my brother is not a snob, Potter."

"Yes, Merlin forbid we call your brother anything short of perfect.", Lily teased.

Rose was about to throw her an empty chocolate frog box but the compartment door slid open before she had a chance to attack Lily.

"Hey Roxy! Where are the others?", Lily was almost too excited to see their cousin Roxanne. Roxy was a fifth year Gryffindor, just like Rose.

"Zabini has brought some booze in his compartment and Scorp and Al are kindly helping him consume it. Did you hear the explosion?"

"What explosion?", Lily and Rose asked simultaneously.

"James and Fred blew up the first carriage, hoping to stop the whole train and keep us stranded here forever. I'm surprised the sound didn't reach you."

Lily burst out laughing while Rose shook her head. "Those bimbos don't know the first thing about magic trains. Did they really think that was all it would take to stop it?"

"Well the worst part is that they scared the trolley lady off, and now she won't come out. No more Pumpkin Pasties on this trip.", Roxy seemed very upset over that fact.

"Oh no, no more Chocolate Frogs.", Lily exclaimed.

"Well, I'm on a diet, so it won't be that much of a loss for me..." At that Roxy and Lily glared at Rose. "What? I'm looking at the good side. Anyway, your complaints to the pranksters, they were the ones who caused this. And I should probably go punish them, as a good prefect would."

"Oh, come on Rose, can't you start being a good prefect after we reach Hogwarts? There will be plenty of opportunities for that there.", Lily put on her doe-eyed look, which could practically get her anything she wanted. Rose sometimes resented that about her cousin - whereas she had to fight for everything, Lily made things go her way with just a blink of her eyes.

The compartment's door opened once again and Dominique plopped down on the seat. For all her good looks, she sometimes was completely ungracious.

"Those guys are a handful. I let it go this once, since we practically aren't in Hogwarts yet, but I swear, as Head Girl, I'm going to be merciless with them this year." Dom was probably talking about James and Fred. They were seventh years, just like her, and they had been giving her and every other prefect a hard time.

Dom turned to Rose. "Oh, I got you a schedule for the rounds, made a few changes due to Quidditch practice. And please don't kill me, if it weren't absolutely necessary I wouldn't have put you guys together."

Rose was about to ask what Dom meant with that, but she had a pretty good idea and a look at the programme verified her suspicions. It was actually worse than she thought. Mondays with Scorpius. Fridays with Molly. She didn't know what to fear the most.

"Rose? Why aren't you speaking? I had no other choice, I'm sure you'll get through it just fine."

"Dom, do you hate me?" Rose said with a small voice.

"No, look, it's just that nobody else can stand Molly and what with Quidditch practices it's hard to find the right schedule for everyone. You'd told me you could do every day, so this is what turned up. Please don't turn me into a flobberworm."

That broke the tension and even brought a smile on Rose's face. Ever since her third year, when she'd turned Oliver Zabini into a flobberworm, it had become a joke they used whenever Rose was mad.

"Speaking of flobberworms...", Lily said a moment before Zabini, Scorpius and Albus burst into their compartment.

"Quick, hide us, Longbottom's on the train.", Al exclaimed.

"Why would we need to hide you?", Dom seemed confused.

"Because it's not even twelve yet and they reek of alcohol.", Rose explained.

"It's our new cologne, hope you like it, Red.", Scorpius said with a smirk.

"Isn't there some kind of sobering charm you can cast?", Lily asked.

"No, Lils, there's just some kind of sobering potion that we currently don't have with us.", Albus said.

"Well, in that case, I do have a perfume with me..." Rose started searching into her bag.

"I'd rather die." Zabini stated, while the girls giggled.

"Would you rather be caught drunk by my beloved godfather? I'm not sure you've seen Professor Longbottom's angry side yet."

Zabini paled at that. Everyone had heard the stories about the Professor heroically slaying Nagini, and not only did students respect him, but they also feared his wrath. Rose knew what a gentle person he was, but that didn't stop her from using the rumours about him to her advantage.

"I'm sure there's some kind of spell that changes our odor..." Zabini looked pleadingly at his mates, who frowned and shook their heads.

"I can't seem to think of any, can you, girls?" Rose took out her perfume and pointed it to the guys. "Now, who's first?"

xox

"Why didn't any girl want to ride with me on the carriages?"

"Maybe it's because you smell better than they do, Al."

Rose, Scorpius, Al and Roxy had taken a carriage to Hogwarts. Scorpius smirked at Rose's comment.

"Or maybe it's because your perfume is shitty, Weasley."

"Didn't see you complaining when I saved you from 'Professor Longbottom's wrath', Hyperion."

"Yes, it's so foul-smelling that it covered the firewhiskey's scent. Longbottom wouldn't have noticed anything anyway, I'm more worried about Bell finding out."

Professor Bell, or Katie as their parents called her, was teaching Defence Against The Dark Arts in Hogwarts, DADA in short. She was also the one checking on the incoming students.

"Oh, don't worry, Katie is a sweetheart."

"Al, if you continue talking like that I'll have to Silencio you." Albus seemed a little more affected by the firewhiskey than Scorpius, although the latter's words were a little slurred too. Rose prayed they wouldn't say or do anything stupid.

Albus sighed. "I was hoping for something like a double date. You know, Scorp, you and me with a couple of girls in a carriage." Albus met Rose's glare. "I mean, other than cousins.", he filled in.

"I don't know Al, I don't think they would be comfortable with us going at it in a carriage.", Scorpius joked. There were rumors in Hogwarts about their bromance, if Albus hadn't been such a womanizer everyone would have thought he and Scorpius were a couple. Some still thought that his playboy character was just an act to hide his true nature.

"Well, don't let us stop you, feel free to express yourselves, lovebirds.", Rose said.

"So very generous of you, Red. I'll keep that in mind next time we have rounds together.", Scorpius winked.

Rose sighed at that. "Now why did you have to remind me of that?"

"Wait, you guys are patrolling together?" Albus was aghast. And then he burst out laughing.

"It's not funny, Severus.", Rose glared at him.

Albus suddenly sobered. "Bloody hell, why are they doing this to us? You just might demolish the castle with one of your fights."

xox

"Hullo, Katie."

Rose cursed under her breath. She should have silenced him after all.

Katie thankfully looked to be in good spirits. "I guess you're still in holiday mood, Albus. It's Professor Bell for you from now on though, Potter.", she said, putting her stern face on.

"Yes, ma'am!", Albus mock-saluted, and Katie rolled her eyes. And then those eyes turned into slits.

"Is that perfume you're wearing, Potter?", she asked.

Albus looked back at Rose in alarm. "He lost a bet.", Rose said. She hoped the professor wouldn't ask any more questions.

"Malfoy too?", Katie ebbed disbelief.

"Yes, ma'am!", Scorpius shouted.

Katie shook her head and smiled, saying something like "boys these days" under her breath. She reached for their trunks and set them down by their feet. Then she did a check up spell on them, searching for anything illegal they might be trying to bring to the school. "Alright, everything in order. Welcome back, everyone.", she said with a smile.

"Thank you, professor. See you in class.", Roxy said quickly and they all hurried to the castle.

xox

"So what do you say, Rosie? Just tonight, take some time off, party with us, or go to sleep. Do whatever you want."

"Just not rat you out, I get it Al. I just don't feel very responsible, what if you get too drunk? And what about tomorrow, we start classes if you recall."

"Come on, we do this every year, it's no different this time just because you're a prefect. Other prefects let us do this all the time."

They had stopped at the entrance of the castle to catch their breath. Roxy and Al were looking at Rose with pleading eyes.

"Fine, just tonight, until twelve. Then it's bedtime for everyone.", Rose conceded with a sigh.

"Yes!" Roxy and Al high-fived. "Are you coming too, Scorp?", Albus asked.

"No, I have Slytherin's party to supervise. Our booze is better anyway."

"Think you can share?"

"I don't know, mate, Zabini drinks a whole pub by himself. Feel free to step by, though."

"Nah, bet our party is going to be more fun."


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

10 o'clock. The party was in full swing, with butterbeers, firecrackers and Exploding Snap games going on. And Rose was about to ruin the fun.

"Alright, first-, second- and third-years, time for bed! The rest of you can stay until midnight!"

The younger students grunted and complained, but thankfully they complied, shuffling back into their rooms. Some tried to sneak back in the Gryffindor common room, or hide and stay behind, but like the ruthless prefect she was, Rose cast a spell to point out any remaining students. She pretended not to hear the whispered 'killjoy's directed her way.

Rose wouldn't have thought it possible, but the party became even wilder after that. Charlie and Emma brought out the firewhiskey and they started handing out shots, while James and Fred lit up even more explosives from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

"How about a game of 'Never have I ever'?" Emma's question was met with shouts of approval. Rose tried to quietly make her way to the background, but suddenly an arm caught her around the shoulders and Albus started pulling her towards the couch.

"No, no, no. You are playing with us, Rosie."

"I'm not in the mood, Al. And I don't want to drink anyway." Rose planted her feet firmly on the ground, giving Al a hard time dragging her forward.

"Don't be a stick in the mud, cuz. Have some fun now and then.", he grumbled. He was slowly making progress and Rose was starting to panic.

"I wouldn't be that much fun anyway, no dirty secrets for you to uncover." Rose hooked her foot around an armchair, bringing them momentarily to a standstill. Al audibly grunted. He kicked the armchair and quickly pushed Rose forward and to the left, practically throwing her on the couch. Al could be quite stubborn too when he put his mind to it. Rose was secretly enjoying their struggle.

"Well, then you won't have to drink, will you?"

She couldn't argue with that logic. What actually got to her was the stick-in-the-mud part. She constantly told herself not to care, but sometimes she did mind being thought of as a spoilsport.

She sighed and moved to the side to let Al sit next to her. "Fine, just so you know, I can have fun too, I just don't like making a ridicule of myself."

xox

"Never have I ever ... gotten an "O" in Potions."

Rose glared at Albus, and with a sigh she reached for the shot. This was her fourth one, and the previous ones had gone down in a similar way, with questions such as "never skipped a class" or "never been in detention". Usually the others howled in laughter at Al's questions that were specifically aimed at Rose, but this time everyone was silent. As soon as she looked up, Rose saw the reason. Ben Thomas had also reached for a shot. He was Gryffindor's beater along with Fred, and everyone knew that Potions and grades were the last thing on his mind.

"What, Lily actually did the assignment for me. I got an "O" and then got detention for it." Rose's face fell; she had almost gotten her hopes up.

"You got detention for getting an "Outstanding"? That's a great way to encourage students." Charlie could barely hold back her laughter. Charlie Wood was one of Gryffindor's chasers, but as opposed to Ben, she actually tried keeping up with her classes.

"I got detention for having someone else do the essay for me. I don't know if three hours of sorting potions ingredients was worth it..."

"How could you make Lily do the essay for you? What kind of gentleman would do that?" Rose asked. She was already affected by the alcohol and her words came out a little slurred. She hoped no one had noticed, but something in Al's smile told her otherwise.

The door to the common room swung open, revealing a soot-covered Lily.

"Who set you on fire?", Albus asked.

"Let me guess, Slytherin's party was a bore, and you decided to step over to the fun side. Good call, sis.", James said.

Lily sat on the armrest of the couch next to Ben, and he slipped his hand around her waist. They were both fourth years and they had been dating since the beginning of the school year, much to James and Al's disapproval. Not that anyone would ever be good enough for their sister, according to them.

"Actually it was so much fun that we got grounded for it. There was an outright war of Exploding Snap going on, and after we set our common room on fire we were sent to our beds. Scorpius and the other prefects are being given "The Talk" by Bullstrode as we're speaking."

"Oooh, I can't say I'm jealous of them." Al's expression was almost painful. Professor Millicent Bullstrode was the Head of Slytherin and the Potions teacher. Her square build and her strict manners intimidated the students, and no one wanted to be on her bad side. "Is Scorp coming over?"

"I think so, if he's alive at the end of the hag's speech. So what are you guys doing?"

"Actually we were just talking about how you offered to write that potions essay for me that got me an "O" and a detention.", Ben said.

"Oh, I hope you mentioned how much you begged me to do it. He almost got on his knees." The last one was directed at the whole party, and Rose looked triumphantly at Ben.

"Okay, now it's my turn.", Rose said eagerly. "Never have I ever ... swam in a lake naked in December."

Al's glare was softened by his smile as he reached for a shot. Rose never thought she'd like this game, but it was turning out to be hilarious. She liked embarrassing Albus by revealing his escapades and she'd learned all sorts of stuff about the others, like how Fred had been expelled once in his second year and had to give a public apology to be accepted back in Hogwarts. Or how the reason he got expelled was because everyone thought he'd put whiz poppers in Bullstrode's desk, but it was actually Emma Finnegan who'd done it. Even in seventh year, he was still covering for her. Part of it was because he liked the spotlight, but Rose thought he also had a crush on Emma.

"Oh come on, "Never have I ever"? Where did your Gryffindor spirit fly off to? Let's play 'Dare or Dare'!"

To Rose's disappointment, everyone agreed with Lily. "Dare or Dare" was a Gryffindor version of "Truth or Dare", obviously without the truth part. It seemed like the Gryffindors were only interested in the physically challenging part of the game.

"Okay, I go first!", Roxy shouted. "Rose, I dare you to fly around the common room on a broomstick."

Oh, no. Rose had actually hoped that she could make it through the night without making a spectacle of herself, but her hopes vanished the instant Roxy summoned her broomstick and offered it to her.

The hoots of encouragement sounded as if they were coming from far away as Rose mechanically outstretched her arms and held the broomstick. She'd never been any good at flying and she didn't take failure well. So she had decided from early on to abandon flying. If she didn't try, she wouldn't have to fail.

Of course she'd given it a few shots when she was younger, asking Albus to instruct her in private, when no one would be there to see how completely imbalanced and ungracious she was in the air. In the end she'd just given up; she didn't have the patience to cultivate a skill she anyway wouldn't be good at.

This time though, she wanted to try it. Maybe it was alcohol's liquid courage, or maybe her secret hope that it might turn out to be easier than it used to - whatever the reason she mounted the broomstick, and it was as if she was watching herself from afar, slowly ascending in the air.

And then losing her balance. Nope, it hadn't gotten any easier. Fifth year, and she still couldn't ride a broomstick.

She wobbled in the air for what seemed like years, and then she made the first mistake in Al's "Don't Do It" list for flying amateurs. Instead of finding her balance by adjusting her body, she tried adjusting the broom instead. And then she started gaining height.

What followed was a ridiculous ride in the Gryffindor common room, alternating between highs extremely close to the ceiling and lows dangerously close to the floor. She didn't seem to be able to slow down, and when she did she was afraid of falling down by going too slow. And the worst part was that she didn't know what to do. Half of the room was laughing their faces off, and the other half was shouting advice at her, while trying to avoid collision. James and Fred were adding insult to injury by popping firecrackers and explosives wherever she went, scaring her out of her wits.

And then she was heading for the door, unable to stop, the door opening in the last minute to reveal ... Scorpius.

It took her a moment after the collision to notice it was actually him, since he was covered from head to toe in ashes. They'd both fallen down from the impact and it took her another moment to notice he was cursing in pain. It seemed like she'd hit a sensitive spot with her broom handle.

All the guys in the room had painful expressions on their faces, while the girls couldn't hold back the tears of laughter.

"Ouch, that was a blow below the belt, cuz..." James said with a frown alternating between humour and pain.

"Bloody hell, Weasley! What are you doing on a broomstick?", Scorpius' voice was almost a whisper. Rose actually felt sorry for him.

"It was Roxy's idea! I just took the dare!", she tried to explain.

Scorpius slowly stood up, his eyes searching the room for Roxy, his gaze burning through her soul and cursing every last morsel of it.

Everyone held their breaths at the fearful sight. And then Rose couldn't help it. The image of Scorpius covered in soot, holding his crotch and cursing with his eyes was too much. A giggle escaped her lips.

She tried holding it back, she really did. As soon as she put her hand over her mouth though to stop herself, her giggle turned into a hiccup.

And the whole room erupted in laughter. Even Scorpius' face relaxed, turning into a questioning smile.

"Merlin's Beards, are you drunk, Red? What else did I miss? Rose Nymphadora Weasly getting drunk, taking a dare and flying on a broomstick, all in one night? And I thought our party was a blast."

Al threw his arm around Scorpius' shoulders and met his astounded smile with a relaxed one of his own. "Told you Gryffindor's parties are the best."


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Rose felt as if a hammer was pounding on her head. Or like a dragon had sat on it, that could more accurately describe her headache. First DADA lesson of the new year and she couldn't concentrate on anything else other than her hangover. She'd almost missed her classes, if Roxy hadn't woken her up she would still be asleep. She sighed. What was wrong with her?

The worst part was, that she couldn't remember anything about the previous night after Scorpius had arrived. It was like she'd blacked out completely. And everyone was smiling knowingly whenever they saw her, as if they were in on some secret. What had she done last night? When she'd asked her friends over breakfast, they told her so many different and outrageous versions of her dealings at the party that she didn't know what to believe. The whole school was brimming now with rumours about her "wild side".

"Rose?..."

She looked up at the Professor's voice. Katie Bell had asked her a question and she hadn't even heard it. For a second she was lost for words; how could she answer?

"I'm sorry Professor, could you repeat that?"

Bell's brows had shot up her forehead. It wasn't just her, the whole class looked taken aback. Rose never asked questions, normally she was the one to answer them.

"Are you alright, Rose?", Bell rarely let her professionalism slip during class; asking personal questions was a sign of how astounded she was.

"She's probably been jinxed.", Scorpius said with a smirk.

"Good thing today's class is about counter-jinxes then. Okay, everyone split up in pairs and practice the counter-charms we talked about."

Rose followed after the others to the back of the class, which was reserved for practice. She paired up with Roxanne and next to her stood Albus paired with Scorpius.

"So what really happened last night? You, at least, have to tell me the truth, Al."

"Where would be the fun in that, though?"

"Ugh, come on, Al. You're killing me. You can't imagine what I've heard since this morning. Some of it's rather far-fetched, but still..."

Al cast a Levicorpus jinx on Scorpius and Rose followed suit, casting the same spell on Roxanne.

Professor Bell happened to pass by at that moment. She approached Rose with a sympathetic smile on her face.

"Are you really okay, Rose?"

"Yes, Professor, just a headache, that's all."

Bell looked back at Scorpius, who was hanging upside down, and turned back to Rose with a knowing smile. "Don't worry, he might be playing hard to get but I'm sure he's just as smitten with you." At that she winked and left.

Rose turned red in anger and embarrassment. It seemed like the rumours about the night before had also reached the professors. Bell was probably talking about the one where Rose supposedly kissed Scorpius on the lips in front of everyone. She was quite certain she hadn't done that, and she also thought she knew who spread that one. She looked over angrily at Scorpius' body form, who'd managed to cast the counter-spell in the meantime. He immediately cast a jelly-legs jinx on Albus, who collapsed on the ground. Roxy also freed herself and copied Scorpius' jinx. Rose felt her feet give out under her and landed on the ground ungraciously.

"Even Bell thinks I kissed Scorpius. She gave me a pep talk, Al! I'm never going to live this down. I'm going to kill Scorpius!", she said while trying to find the right way to cast the counter-charm.

Albus was laughing uncontrollably. "You were the one who kissed him, why is he the one who's going to get killed?", he managed between breaths.

"I so didn't kiss him, stop messing with my head. There are some things that I just wouldn't do, no matter how drunk." Rose kept repeating that to herself, but the more she thought of it, the more she started doubting. And it wasn't just the kiss that was messing with her mind. Some of the other rumours were just as mad, like how she'd supposedly ended up dancing naked in the common room, or how she'd chugged two bottles of firewhiskey by herself. She didn't really believe the crazy ones, though - it was the less far-fetched that made her wonder. Had she really sung the "Fired up Kettle" on the common room's armchair? The song was her latest favourite, so she guessed she could have done that. And did she really pry Lily away from Ben when she saw them kissing, all the while shouting "Keep your tongues in your mouths and your hands to yourselves!"? She wasn't exactly a fun of public make-out sessions.

Rose finally countered the spell and cast a pimples jinx on Roxy.

"Had fun last night, Weasley?" Scorpius was still waiting for Albus to counter the jelly-legs jinx. He'd turned his attention to Rose, who gave him one of her fiercest glares.

"Not as much as you, Malfoy. I'm sure you enjoyed my kiss immensely."

"For someone who claims to have forgotten everything, you sure can remember quite a lot. Is your memory that selective, or did my expert kissing skills wipe out everything else?" A smirk was playing on Scorpius' lips and Rose wanted to wipe it away.

"It was such a traumatic experience that I seem to have memory lapses. I wanted someone to enlighten me on what happened at the party but there were so many different versions of last night that I don't know what to believe in. Could someone possibly be spreading false rumours about me to the whole school?" Her pointed question got back snickers from the rest of the class.

"What an outrageous idea, what would give you that impression? Do you have someone specifically in mind?", Scorpius played along.

Without realizing it they had drawn closer to each other and were now standing a couple of feet apart.

"Oh, I don't know, probably someone with a twisted sense of humour and no logic skills whatsoever. Because it's rather inconceivable that I, or any girl for that matter, would want to kiss you."

The rest of the class had gotten very silent, stopping their practice to stare at the pair in the middle of the classroom. Even the Professor had gone quiet, enjoying the spectacle with everyone else.

"The rest of the ladies would disagree. Of course I can't vouch for your preferences, after all I heard that you also french-kissed a chocolate frog yesterday. I hope that was after you harassed me and not before."

The distance between them was less than a foot, and Rose had to crane her neck to look at Scorpius. It got on her nerves to have the disadvantage of height. She was sure he felt a great sense of superiority just by looking down at her.

"I guess I wouldn't remember, but I must have mistaken you for a chocolate frog, there's no other explanation for me kissing you."

"Maybe you thought the frog was going to turn into a handsome lad like me."

"Or maybe I hoped that you would turn into a frog - a much more appealing sight."

Rose was getting dangerously mad and without realizing it she'd drawn out her wand and was clutching it tightly to her side. Scorpius copied her, his relaxed stance changing to a more tense one. That was when the professor decided to step in.

"Alright now, no fights in this class, put your wands back. Everyone dismissed, Miss Weasley and Mister Malfoy do try avoiding each other for the next century, it would be safer for everyone that way."

With a smirk, Scorpius turned around and headed for his desk, picking up his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. Rose tried to contain her rage while she did the same, all the while fuming at Scorpius' calm attitude and his easy dismissal. She tried ignoring him, turning around and heading for Potions class next to Roxy.

"You're flushed again, Red. Something the matter?" Scorpius' voice behind her made her even redder and it was with great effort that she kept her mouth shut. She was afraid that if she tried talking back she might scream instead.

"Could it be that you're angry at someone? Or maybe it's embarrassment?" Rose's flush expanded to her neck and she could barely see where she was going, blindly following Roxy through the corridors.

"No, no, I think it's attraction. You're attracted to me, that's it. No need to be embarrassed of that or angry about it, Weasley. Don't be so harsh on yourself. You might actually have better taste than I expected. Not to boast, but I am admittedly quite the catch."

At last, they'd reached the Potions classroom, and Rose sat on her usual seat, waiting for Albus to join her. Fifth year Potions required the students to prepare draughts in pairs, and Rose shared a counter and a kettle with Albus. Scorpius shared the counter next to theirs with Oliver Zabini. Usually Rose enjoyed being close to him and comparing their progress - she was always better, faster and more precise at Potions and she never missed a chance to rub it in. Now, looking over and seeing Scorpius lounging on his chair with a smug smile and a devilish look in his eyes, she wished she could be as far away from him as possible. How was she ever going to survive this class?


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Rose and Scorpius had been enemies ever since she could remember. Well, not enemies exactly, more like competitors. It was the combination of them both being smart and ambitious, and therefore at the top of their classes, and belonging to different Houses. Naturally, their teachers and classmates considered them to be on opposing sides and stoked the fire of their antagonism.

Rose didn't think either of them thought much of it in the beginning. She didn't even dislike him. She actually enjoyed having someone who could stand up to her intellectually and she got a kick out of their little competition during class. Outside the classroom they didn't acknowledge each other much. It was like they belonged in different worlds, which only merged during their lessons.

That was, until Scorpius started hanging out with Albus. Rose and Albus were almost inseparable since birth; he was her cousin, her best friend, her big brother. She wouldn't admit it, but while she slowly watched Scorpius take Al away from her, her indifference gradually turned into hate. She hated him inside and outside of the classroom, she hated him every time she saw him next to Al, every second Al prefered spending with him and not with her. She didn't like sharing, and not being the center of Al's attention was eating away at her.

She did put up a fight at first. She tried everything she could to divert his attention from Scorpius. But in the end, it wasn't enough. Al and Scorpius became close friends and Rose gave up. For the first time in her life, she'd started ignoring Albus. It was difficult, but she was very persistent. Thinking back, it was all black and white for her. If she and Albus weren't best friends, then they couldn't be friends at all.

xox

1st year - Christmas Eve

Two long weeks and three endless days. That's how long she hadn't talked to Albus. She hadn't even looked him in the eyes, fearing that their green depths would crack her resolve and make her regret her decision. She thought that Christmas holidays would make it easier for her, that not seeing him every day in every class would alleviate her pain, but it was rather the opposite. She didn't know what he was doing anymore, she couldn't look at him from afar, she couldn't hear his voice or feel the touch of his hand every time he tried to talk to her - in vain.

On Christmas Eve it was a tradition for her family to gather in the Burrow and spend the day together. Every aunt, uncle and cousin of hers would be there for lunch and dinner; Albus included. She wanted to cry. She was both happy and scared, she wanted to speak to him but she didn't want to break her silence, she wanted to hug him and she wanted to slap him. She was very confused.

Her family arrived at the Burrow early, and Rose let out a sigh of relief. Albus wasn't there yet. She'd heard that he had invited Scorpius over for lunch and she didn't feel ready to face either of them yet. She decided to hide. Usually she wasn't the kind of person to cower and back down from any challenge, but she just didn't want her whole family to see her attitude towards her cousin and his best friend - they would start asking questions and that was the last thing she wanted.

She took a broomstick and went to the snow-covered Quidditch pitch hidden safely in the woods behind the Burrow. Everyone knew of Rose's not-so-friendly relationship with anything that had to do with flying or balancing, so she was quite certain they would never think to look for her there.

The Quidditch pitch had been built a couple of years ago, when James and Fred had both joined the Gryffindor Quidditch team as first years and they wanted to practice during their holidays. Her uncle George decided to create a pitch behind the Burrow's yard and everyone had helped build it. Rose still found it funny that her dad and uncles had played more than James and Fred. Since then, whenever they came at her grandparents' house they always had a few matches with parents and children alike taking part.

Rose mounted the broom and tried lifting herself in the air. She always had trouble with the ascent. Not that she found anything else about flying easier. But taking off was the first part. If she couldn't even get that right then she could forget about flying altogether.

Rose bent her knees and then pushed herself on tiptoe, willing the broom to take flight. She always felt like a dimwit when that failed. And like most times, it did fail. Once. Twice. Three times.

A snort sounded behind her and she turned around alarmed, suddenly facing an amused Scorpius.

"Still can't fly, Weasley?"

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Rose's silence only extended to Albus, she could very well talk to Scorpius all she wanted.

"Last I remember, I was invited here by your cousin."

"No, I mean what are you doing HERE? How did you find this place?"

"Albus told me there was a Quidditch pitch and I wanted to see it. This place is actually pretty cool.", Scorpius said, upraising the field.

Rose picked up her broom and started making her way back to the Burrow. She couldn't stand being with Malfoy, she'd rather face her cousins' questioning looks. Just as she was passing him, Scorpius grabbed her hand around the wrist. Rose was so startled she stopped dead in her tracks and looked up at him with wide eyes. He was a few inches taller and sometimes he scared her.

"Are you still not talking to Al?" It was Malfoy's use of Albus' nickname that brought her to her senses. She looked angrily at his hand and tugged her wrist out of his grip.

"None of your business, Malfoy." Rose picked up her pace, her anger dyeing her cheeks red.

"It's because of me, isn't it? Are you angry he's spending more time with me than he does with you?"

Rose was so aggravated she couldn't think. Malfoy's voice sounded not the least sorry. He was almost smug, at finding out the reason behind her behaviour or at being that reason, she didn't know. Maybe both.

"You know, for a person with a huge family, you sure don't know how to share. I'd say you're a bit spoilt, Weasley."

Rose's rage had hit a peak and she sharply turned around and faced Malfoy.

"And I'd say you're a bit of a know-it-all, Malfoy, thinking you're so smart that you can figure out anyone. Well, you don't know a thing about me, so don't pretend that you do!" She wanted to scream at him but she couldn't because that would make him think he won over her.

"It's not that hard to figure you out, Weasley. You're a self-centered snob who wants everybody to answer to your beck and call, and you fear the moment someone realizes you're not the center of the universe."

"Because the center of the universe would be you, is that it, Malfoy? You're talking about me being selfish when you're the one walking around Hogwarts as if you own the place, converting my friends to your little underground cult!"

"My cult? I'm not trying to convert anyone, is it that hard for you to accept that Albus might have possibly chosen me over you this time?"

"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about, I've seen you with Zabini working your dark magic at the back of the library late at night. Don't you dare to even think about teaching Albus any dark arts, or even worse, making a victim of him!"

Rose had taken a few steps towards Malfoy, pointing at him with her finger, her face flushed in rage and her eyes threatening. Scorpius had frozen, his expression shocked and questioning.

And then James was between them, keeping them at a safe distance and trying to calm them down. "Hey, hey, you guys, just chill, okay?"

Someone's arms wrapped around Rose's and she heard Al's voice in her ear. "Calm down, Rosie. No one's hurting or victimizing me."

She turned around and looked him fiercely in the eyes for the first time in two weeks and three days. "Are you joining him, then? Are you going to the dark side, victimizing others for fun?"

James looked more closely at Scorpius. "Hey, what's this Rose is talking about? You doing any dark magic?"

Malfoy raised his arms in exasperation. "For Merlin's sake, no! She must have seen me trying out some jinxes, but no one's turning into Voldemort here."

Albus actually cracked a smile. "Were you that worried about me, cuz? As if I could ever let Malfoy there brainwash me..."

"Take care, Potter, you don't know the full extent of my dark powers, yet.", Scorpius said with a hint of a smile.

Albus chuckled and James visibly relaxed. Then a competitive glow shone in James' eyes as he upraised the field and Scorpius. "Want to face off in Quidditch later, Malfoy? We've got lots of brooms here at the Burrow."

"Sure, if you're okay with being beat by a first-year.", Scorpius said with his trademark smirk. He and James started heading back to the Burrow, throwing jibes back and forth and animatedly talking about famous players and new moves.

Albus started to follow but he stopped and turned back when Rose didn't come. He walked back to her in the middle of the field and took her arm in his. "Come on, Rose, everyone's been looking for you, lunch is almost ready." He picked up her broomstick with his other hand and led the way back to the house. "Did you try flying again?"

Rose nodded.

"Good, keep practicing. We can work on take-offs later in the afternoon, I'll help you out. You'll learn how to land and take off smoothly, it will be easy, trust me."

Rose nodded again.

"I missed you Rose. It's not the same without you. I want you to be my best friend again. But I also want Scorpius as a friend. Think you can put up with him for me? He might be annoying sometimes but he's a good bloke. And he's not into dark magic, I promise you." He smiled at her and Rose turned to look at him.

"Just promise me that you'll spend time with me as well, not just with him. Maybe a bit more with me, as in one more minute every day."

Albus laughed and hugged her. "We have every class together every day and we're in the same House. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't spend any more time than that with Scorpius. And seriously, how could you ignore me like that when we were so much time together?"

"Do you think it was easy for me? I felt like I couldn't breathe. But I had made a promise to myself and I never back down from those."

"You're so stubborn. You know what, thinking about it, you and Scorp are quite similar."

Rose mock-slapped his arm. "Don't you ever say that again, Albus Severous, or I might ignore you into the next century."

Suddenly, a snowball hit her on her chest. She turned and looked at a smiling Scorpius who was preparing another snowball.

"It's a war, Malfoy!", she shouted and began gathering snow.

"Bring it on, Weasley!"

xox

Rose and Scorpius tried being civil to each other for Albus' sake. It was rather awkward and annoying, and it only lasted for about a week. After that they fell back into their comfortable bantering. Rose thought they both secretly liked it. She personally found it difficult to pretend to like him, or even stand his company. She'd rather be truthful about her sentiments. Sometimes she also vented other feelings that had nothing to do with Scorpius out on him. In the end though, she always turned out to be even more agitated after their fights. He had a way of getting on her nerves more than anyone else. Rose thought it had something to do with him always being so calm and collected, rarely giving others a glimpse of his true feelings. She considered it a triumph every time she got some kind of a reaction out of him. It had become sort of like a game, who would crack first and show their annoyance. Somehow it was always her. But sometimes she also got a heated look from him in the process. She strove for that moment when his grey eyes seemed to spark and light up in anger, almost bursting in flames. When his jaw clenched and his nostrils expanded and, if she was lucky, his cheeks might flush just a tiny bit. They might not be best friends, but she was certain she could read his reactions better than Albus.

Their cat-and-dog fights didn't wane until their second year, and then they picked up again in their fourth. During the summer holidays before the fifth year, Albus had made them promise to have a truce. Rose hadn't realized until then that Albus might have been in a difficult position, caught among row after endless row between his best friends. She decided to be the better person and make her cousin's life easier. She avoided Malfoy as much as she could, and when an encounter was inevitable she tried to keep calm and ignore him when possible. She didn't think anything could be harder than her ignoring Albus, but this was getting pretty close. Naturally she didn't always succeed. She was ashamed to admit to succumbing to her impulsive nature more than once. Thankfully her fights with Scorpius mostly happened in the absence of Albus and they were kept a secret. It was a good thing they could both keep secrets very well.


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

"Shut up, Malfoy."

"What, I didn't say anything. Are you imagining things, Weasley?"

"You might not have said anything, but your eyes are speaking for themselves." Rose looked over at him, sitting casually at his Potions counter and staring at her with a smile playing on his lips.

"And what would my eyes be saying?"

"Your eyes think they won over me, but they're deluded. So stop looking at me.", Rose whisper-shouted. She turned to the front of the class, trying to ignore him. She prayed for the lesson to start and distract her with something else.

"Make me, Weasley. But I don't think you want to, after all you couldn't keep your eyes away from mine last night."

Rose still kept her eyes glued to the board but she couldn't stop herself from talking back. "Now who's imagining things? If there was any reason I was looking at you last night it was because ugliness attracts the eye."

"Is that why you're spending so much time in front of the mirror, Weasley?"

This time Rose turned to glare at him. She'd barely formed a comeback when she heard Bullstrode's voice outside the classroom. "Mister Potter, stop sucking miss Finch-Fletchley's face and get in the classroom, before I deduct ten points from Gryffindor."

Albus strode in the class with a smile on his face, taking his usual seat by Rose before the door to the classroom swung shut with force. Rose and Scorpius turned to face forwards, ignoring each other and pretending that no arguing had taken place.

Professor Bullstrode waved her wand and the list of ingredients and preparation instructions appeared on the board. Rose felt as if she couldn't read anything - it all seemed foreign to her.

"Today you're going to prepare a Draught of Peace. It usually requires two hours to brew, but since you're working in pairs, I trust that you'll be able to manage it in one hour."

Groans of complaint sounded at that, which Bullstrode promptly ignored as she sat on her chair and opened her book. Apparently the Wardrobe, as the students called her, was into romantic stories; Muggles called those Arlekins, according to her mother.

Albus got up to gather the ingredients needed. It had been their system all year - Albus brought the ingredients over and helped with the simple tasks, while Rose took care of anything that required delicate handling, specific amounts and exact directions.

As soon as Al was gone, Scorpius turned back to her. "You could probably use some of this potion, Weasley. It would do well to ease your constant agitation."

Rose faced him as well. "What would do great to ease my agitation was if you overdosed on it, Malfoy. I'm sure you'd be less aggravating in deep sleep."

"And then you'd come kiss me to wake me up from my endless, irreversible slumber..."

"I would never kiss you, drunk or otherwise..."

"You just couldn't keep your lips away from me..."

"So stop spreading lies about me..."

"Had to pry you off, but took pity on you, it must be hard to be attracted to someone so out of your league..."

"Making a ridicule of me to the whole school, you're going to pay dearly for this, Malfoy..."

As soon as Albus was back, they both turned sharply to their books, pretending to read the instructions. Al's seat was between Rose and Scorpius, putting a barrier between them. Undernearth her anger, Rose was thankful for not having to face Malfoy again for the next hour.

"Everything alright, Rose? You seem a bit ... off."

Rose avoided Al's gaze as they separated the ingredients. She started heating the cauldron, trying to pay attention to the clock.

"I'm fine.", she retorted. She added the powdered moonstone and stirred clockwise.

Albus was disbelieving. He looked over at the counter next to them and turned back to Rose. "Is it Scorpius?"

Shoot. Rose had stirred eight times instead of seven. She tried stirring counter-clockwise once to correct it, but it only seemed to make things worse. Now, instead of a light blue, the potion's colour was dark. She sighed. They didn't have time to restart brewing it.

"Look, don't be so on edge, he's just fooling around.", Albus continued. He was speaking silently so that Bullstrode wouldn't hear them.

Rose added more powder and waited for the potion to turn purple. Its colour was still off.

"We just thought we'd mess with you a bit, seeing as you couldn't remember a thing about last night."

The potion had started fuming, its colour more red than the pink it should have been, according to the book. Rose quickly added the hellebore syrup. Maybe they could still save this.

"I didn't know you'd be so affected by it, it was meant to be a joke. Maybe we took it a bit far, but we thought you'd also find it funny."

The draught was so not turquoise. Rose left it to simmer until it turned a deep purple.

"Okay, we're sorry. The truth is, that nothing happened after Scorp came by at the party. You just drunk a few more shots and then passed out on the couch. No kissing, no dancing naked or singing... Scorp even helped levitate you to your bed."

Rose looked up in surprise. Was that what really happened? So, no crazy stuff last night? She was relieved and maybe a bit disappointed. Even drunk she turned out to be a bit dull.

"Rose, is our potion supposed to be like this?"

Al was looking tentatively at their cauldron. Rose looked over. The draught was black and emitted foul-smelling fumes.

"Shit!" Rose exclaimed, one second before the potion exploded, bathing her and Albus in black liquid.

For a moment the whole class was eerily quiet. And then everyone burst out laughing. Bullstrode stood up and looked them over. "Potter and Weasley, is it that hard for you to follow a set of bloody instructions? What are you, five-year-olds? Clean this up and get out of my class. You are both zeroed for this."

Rose couldn't believe it. Her first zero, from potions of all lessons. She stood as if stupefied, while Albus tried to clean up the mess. Her classmates were still giggling at the sight of them, although they'd all focused back on their own potions, trying to avoid the same fate as Rose and Al.

As soon as Albus finished cleaning, he led her out of the class and through Hogwarts' corridors to the courtyard. They sat on a bench and Albus looked at the sky. "So, how does your first zero feel, cuz?"

Rose was looking blankly at their reflections on a window. She saw herself smile and heard her laughter echo through the courtyard. At the window, Al was looking at her strangely. Her eyes filled with tears. They were tears of laughter. She'd gotten drunk, flown around her common room on a broomstick, had crazy rumours about her circling the school and gotten zeroed in her best class, all in twenty four hours. If anyone ever dared call her dull, she would hex them.


	8. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

2nd Year - 3rd December

"Wow, this looks wicked. It even releases sparks!", Albus said, studying the small vial closely. He turned it around in his hands, gazing intensely at the potion. Then he turned to Rose. "What is it though?"

Rose smiled brightly. She could barely keep her excitement in check as she cited the potions book she'd read. "It's a Volubilis Potion. It alters your voice and it also counters the effects of a Silencing Charm, restoring the drinker's voice."

Al's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Cool! We can play some awsome tricks with this!" Then his expression turned questioning. "I hadn't even heard of this before, is it in our Potions book somewhere?"

Rose had hoped he'd ask her this question. Her face brightened in pride. "No, it's actually in the list of Advanced Potions that sixth and seventh years are supposed to brew. It's the most difficult draught I've ever prepared, and it took me a few tries to get it right. But I just had to give you the best birthday present."

Albus smiled and placed a kiss on her cheek. Rose's grin got even bigger. "Thanks, Rosie. You know, you really are a prodigy in Potions. Good thing I have you helping me out."

Rose bumped his shoulders with hers. "Well, don't forget to repay me with flying lessons."

"I know I know, I just don't have that much time now, what with Quidditch practice and everything. I promise I'll help you in the weekend."

They were sitting under a willow tree close to the lake, hidden behind it from the view of the castle, the moonlight reflecting brightly from the water and illuminating their faces. They had spent Al's previous birthday under the same tree, sneaking out in the after hours from a secret passage leading from Hogwarts to the north shore of the Great Lake, just under the castle. James had told them of the passage's existence last year, as a birthday present to Albus. They had been using it quite often ever since, getting out of the castle after curfew without anyone knowing. Rose was initially scared of their little night excursions, fearing that they might be caught and get expelled from Hogwarts. She gradually got to like their shared secret though, just the two of them hanging out by the lake after dark. It was invigorating.

Rose heard a noise coming from behind them and she turned around sharply. "Did you hear that?", she asked Al.

"Hear what?", Albus said perplexed. They both stayed silent for a minute, looking about for anything unusual. A crunch sounded from a bush and they both turned to stare at it.

"Do you think it's an animal?", Rose asked, taking out her wand.

"Either that, or it's Scorp. I guess we can find out by stupefying it..."

Before Albus had a chance to take out his wand, an alarmed Scorpius shot out of the bush. "Whoa, okay, calm down, put your wands back..." His lips upturned as soon as he met Al's grin. "You got me there, Potter. And I thought I could make you piss yourself...", he said shaking his head.

"What's he doing here?" Rose's fear had turned into bitterness. She'd thought they were going to spend Al's birthday on their own.

"Thought you could start the party without me? Not a chance, Weasley." Malfoy was in high spirits, his smile a rare genuine one. It irritated Rose and got her in a foul mood.

She turned to Al with blazing eyes. "Did you tell him about the passage?"

"Relax, Rosie. It's no big deal. He's not going to tell anyone else."

"Actually, I'm thinking of telling the whole school.", Scorpius said with a sarcastic smile.

Rose looked down, trying to hide the hurt in her eyes. "I thought this was OUR secret.", she said silently.

"It's still ours, there's just one more person in on it.", Al's voice was gentle, as if he was trying to calm an animal.

"Suck it up, Weasley. Your cousin can tell whoever he wants, he doesn't need your permission."

Rose's anger coated her cheeks, turning them red. She hated her blush, it betrayed her feelings. She wished she could conceal them behind an expressionless face, just like Malfoy could.

"Guys, please don't start. It's my birthday, remember?" Albus tried to pacify them, moving to stand between them.

"Right, happy birthday mate.", Malfoy said, producing a square carton box from his bag.

Albus opened it and a grin covered his face. "Whoa, chocolate cupcakes! My favourite."

Rose scoffed. "Those were made by the school's elves, Malfoy. You didn't make your present yourself, like I did mine.", she said with a smirk.

"That's not even my present, Weasley. It's just a treat. My actual present is this..." He searched in his bag, bringing out a box wrapped in red paper and giving it to Albus.

Albus passed the cupcakes to Rose, taking the box greedily in his hands. "I hope it's not a dung bomb, Malfoy...", he said lightly, tearing through the paper. Rose scooted closer to take a better look.

"What is this, a quill?", Albus asked perplexed.

"It's THE Spelloquill, Potter. Latest version from the Wheezes. Corrects your spelling and writes the right answer on its own. You don't even have to re-ink it, it does that itself.", Malfoy said with a proud smile.

Albus looked at the quill as if he was holding the most precious thing in the world. Rose seethed. She hadn't even thought of buying anything from the Wheezes. She guessed she took them for granted, what with her uncle bringing them presents all the time.

"What did you bring him, Weasley?", Malfoy asked, looking over at Rose. She suddenly didn't want to show him. Albus beat her to it, though.

"Oh, Rose made me this awesome potion.", he said, reaching into his pocket to reveal the small vial. "What's it called again...?" He turned to look at her, but Malfoy answered first.

"It's a Volubilis Potion!", he said, snatching the vial from Al's hands and gazing at the yellow liquid in awe. "Bloody hell, did you make this yourself, Weasley?"

Rose's confidence returned. For a moment, she'd feared that Malfoy wouldn't know of the potion and that he'd laugh at her for it. She was relieved that was not the case. "Of course, Hyperion. Only the best for my cousin."

Scorpius stared at her with a strange look in his eyes. If Rose hadn't known any better, she'd say it was admiration. "Seems I'd misjudged you, Nymphadora. You are good at something, after all."

"That's one thing more than you, Malfoy.", she said, but her voice didn't carry the usual sharpness. A smile was tugging at her lips. Gaining Malfoy's respect and admiration made her feel surprisingly light. She usually didn't care what other people thought of her, and she didn't know why Malfoy was any different. Maybe because he was just as good as her at classes, sometimes even better admittedly. Or maybe because he didn't think as highly of her as most of her classmates, acting dismissively towards her. He didn't exactly treat her as an inferior, but she knew he didn't consider her an equal either. Until now.

"How about we eat those cupcakes?", Albus said eagerly. He reached for the box, but Rose held it away from him.

"Wait, what if they're poisoned?", she said, looking playfully over at Scorpius.

"Only yours are, Nymphadora.", he answered with a smirk.

"And how would you know which ones I would eat?"

"Easy. Dark chocolate's your fave. Bitter, just as you."

"You're wrong. I prefer white chocolate.", she said without missing a beat. Albus looked at her with a frown.

"And you're lying. Albus likes white and you like dark chocolate. You always pick it for dessert." Malfoy's confidence never wavered as their gazes locked in a staring contest, which promptly ended when Albus snatched the box from Rose's hands.

"Just stop those mind games of yours and eat, will you?", he said, illuminating the box with his wand and reaching for a white cupcake.

Scorpius grabbed a dark one and offered it to Rose with raised brows. Rose looked at it in distrust. "I dare you to eat that, Malfoy."

"Still think it's poisoned? Fine, suit yourself", he said, taking a bite.

Rose watched his reaction and, after making sure it was okay, she quickly reached for a dark chocolate cupcake, turning away to eat it, her cheeks aflame.

Scorpius snorted. "Scorpius:1 - Red:0"

Rose turned to look at him. "Red? Should I call you Blondie?"

"No, it's not because of your hair.", he said nonchalantly, looking at the lake with a far-off gaze. "You're flushed all the time. When you're angry, or excited, or embarrassed. Like now." He stole a look at her from the corner of his eyes. "It clashes badly with your hair though.", he said, his gaze returning to the lake.

Rose flushed even more, restraining herself from throwing something at him. How could he be so blunt? "Well forget about Red. I don't like it."

"Get used to it, Red. It's your new nickname.", Malfoy said with a devilish smile.

Rose did throw something at him. It happened to be her cupcake.

"Seriously? That's very mature...", Malfoy said, throwing her his own cupcake.

"Play nice, guys, play nice." Albus tried to sound strict but failed miserably. "I dare you to eat those cupcakes."

"There's dirt on them...", Rose said in disgust.

"When did that stop you, Rose?" Al's look was challenging.

"You've eaten dirt, Weasley?", Malfoy asked in disbelief, his look one of disgust mixed with awe.

"I wanted to know what it tasted like.", she shrugged. She picked up the cupcake he'd thrown her and took a bite. Malfoy's look was worth it.

"Yikes. And what did it taste like?", he asked.

"Take a bite and find out, Scorpius.", Al said with a grin.

Scorpius slowly raised the cupcake to his mouth, trying to keep his expression neutral. He opened his mouth tentatively and bit quickly, swallowing almost instantly. He gagged. "I'm so not doing this ever again."

Rose joined Albus in a fit of laughter, as Scorpius pointed the wand at his mouth and cast the Aguamenti spell, rinsing and spitting on his side. He lay back on the tree and smiled. "You are going to pay for this, Al."

Rose found herself agreeing with Scorpius for the first time. "Yes, now you have to take a dare as well."

"From both of us.", Scorpius added.

Albus' laughter quickly diminished. He looked from one to the other. "Guys, it's my birthday, show some mercy."

"No mercy for the birthday boy..." Malfoy's face was mockingly apologetic.

"Albus Severus Potter...", Rose began. "I dare you..." She looked around her, searching for something suitably challenging. Her eyes rested on the lake. "To take a dip in the Great Lake."

His eyes bugged.

"Naked." Scorpius stated.

Al's jaw fell open.

He looked at the both of them pleadingly, and when neither of them took anything back, he got up with a grunt and started undressing, muttering curses under his breath.

Scorpius lay back, resting his head on his hands and enjoying the show, while Rose grabbed a clean cupcake and munched on it with a smile.

"Give us a show, Al!", Rose spurred him on, while Scorpius wolf-whistled. Albus ignored them and, once naked, headed straight for the lake. Rose could hear him silently cursing them.

"... Curse you to the next century ... Merlin's Balls ... Just a small dip that's all ... Pay for this dearly ... Do it quickly, in and out of the water in a second, piece of cake ..."

Rose and Scorpius leaned forward as Albus got to the shore. He took a deep breath and with a silent scream he ran in the water, diving when it reached his middle. Rose held her breath until he resurfaced. "Quite invigorating, I have to say. Come on, guys, what are you waiting for? Dive in!"


	9. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Rose was late. She hurried through the third floor corridors, taking every shortcut to reach the trophy room as quickly as possible. She would meet Scorpius there to begin their rounds.

The reason she was late was none other than her cousins. James and Fred had decided to celebrate their return to Hogwarts and the new year with a classic prank of theirs - a Shrinking Charm. Rose herself hadn't realized anything was wrong until a few girls alarmed her with their shrieks. When she went over to check what was going on, she found out that every clothing article the girls possessed had shrank, except for the ones they were currently wearing. Rose had countered the charm quite easily. The difficult part was finding her cousins to punish them. Now they were both in Katie Bell's office, helping her write down orders for magical species.

She turned a corner and entered the trophy room, where Scorpius stood, staring at the statue of a humpbacked witch. He turned as he heard her approach. "Who are you, and what have you done to Nymphadora Weasley?", he asked her mockingly in shock. "Are you seriously late? I never thought that would be possible for you."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Proper ladies tend to stand up men, didn't you know?"

"I thought that applied to dates, Weasley. Are you asking me out?", he said as he approached her.

"Only you can jump to such conclusions, Malfoy." Rose turned around and they both started on the usual route they had to inspect. "And of course I wouldn't ask you out, it wouldn't be considered ladylike."

Malfoy scoffed. "Since when are you the poster girl for ladylike manners? After all you did kiss me the other night."

"You can let this go, Hyperion. Albus told me the truth. No kisses. Must have been a disappointment for you."

Scorpius sighed. "I don't know how I'm going to get over that."

Rose patted his arm. "I'm sure you'll survive. Your fangirls will definitely be delighted.", she teased him. In truth, only Albus had fangirls following him around. Not that Scorpius didn't have his fair share of admirers, but his reputation with the girls had gone on a downward spiral ever since their fourth year.

"Now they'll start jumping me in corridors, I think I'm going to need a bodyguard."

"Molly would accept that position gladly, just having her beside you would do the job I think."

They both laughed in a rare moment of camaraderie. Rose thought they both needed a break from their fights now and then. She was sure they would continue sometime soon, but for now she was quite content just walking with him in silence.

Scorpius looked at her queerly. "Are you sure you're alright, Red? After all you did get your first zero today and in Potions of all subjects."

Rose grunted. "Ugh, don't remind me of that. Funnily enough, I am actually relieved. I've never been zeroed in anything and I wanted to see what it was like."

Malfoy chuckled. "You keep surprising me, Weasley. And? What did it feel like?"

"Oh, it sucked."

Scorpius snorted. "That's more like the Weasley I know."

They walked through the armor gallery in companionable silence, passing through the Charms corridor to reach the stairs for the fourth floor.

"So what department of the ministry are you visiting next week?", Rose asked him. Before their OWLs, the fifth years visited a desired field of work to determine what they really wanted to do in their future. Rose had chosen the law department, and Albus would be visiting the aurors, but she didn't know what Malfoy's choice was.

"Economics", he said.

Rose scoffed. "Right...", she said with disbelief.

"What, you don't believe me?"

"Why would you choose economics, Hyperion? You don't even like Arithmacy."

"Well, believe it or not, I chose that department. And I'm quite good at Arithmacy if I recall correctly."

Rose knew he was good at Arithmacy. He was better than her, without even really trying. But she also knew he didn't actually like it. She stopped in the middle of the fourth floor corridor, crossing her arms over her chest. "Being good at something doesn't equal liking it. I'm with you in class and you can barely keep yourself awake. Why would you choose to do something that you find dull for the rest of your life?"

Scorpius had turned around when he realized Rose wasn't moving anymore and now he was facing her, a few feet ahead of her. "What if I don't like anything else more than that?"

"I can hardly believe that." Rose racked her brain for a field more suitable to Scorpius. "What about the auror department? You'd be good at that and I'm sure you'd like it more."

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Yes, because everyone would like a former Deatheater's son for an auror. I'm sure they would trust me immensely.", he said bitterly. He pivoted on his heels and kept walking. Rose had seen it though. Just for a second, there was desire and sadness in his eyes. He wanted it.

She ran after him, grabbing his arm and pulling him to a stop. He stared at her in surprise. "Is that it? Is that why you're not applying for the aurors? Don't even listen to what anyone else says, Scorpius. You're not your father or your grandfather. You're... you."

Scorpius smiled mischievously, although his eyes were still sad. "Are you actually giving me a pep talk, Weasley? Never thought you'd be my biggest supporter."

Rose understood that he was trying to change the subject. "You're the one who once told me to not give a 'rat's arse' about what anyone said and to do whatever the hell I wanted. Hate to throw your advice back in your face, but if you didn't follow it yourself, you'd probably be a..."

"Don't say it..."

"Hypocrite."

Scorpius' eyes flashed with anger. Rose was relieved. She would take it over sadness any day.

Scorpius took a step towards her, getting dangerously close to her. "You have a way..."

Rose took a step back.

"Of driving me mad..." Scorpius took another step forward. She stepped back once again.

"Every time you open that little mouth of yours." Malfoy stepped forward, and this time Rose was cornered against the wall. He placed his hands on the wall on either side of her head, caging her in.

Rose was afraid to breathe. She tried finding something witty to say, her eyes glued to his lips. "I must be the 'tough love' kind of supporter."

"It's really annoying when you use my own words against me."

Before Rose could speak, Scorpius' hand covered her mouth, his head turning to the side. She was perplexed until she heard them too.

The sound of giggles and kissing was coming from the corridor below the prefects' bathroom. There were whispers but the only thing Rose could make out was a name. "Louis..."

She sighed. Those cousins were going to be the death of her.

Scorpius looked down at her mischievously, putting his index finger on his lips and signaling her to be quiet. He let go of her and slowly approached the corner, drawing out his wand. Rose followed him quietly, curious to see what he would do.

Scorpius stopped and peeked around the corner, and Rose got closer to have a better look. Sitting on the steps of the staircase leading to the prefects' bathroom were her cousin Louis with a cute Hufflepuff on his lap. Louis was probably the most handsome guy in the entire school, his part-veela genes being responsible for that. The only thing he liked more than flirting with girls was flirting with himself. There were rumours that he was spending hours in the bathroom, talking to himself in the mirror. Rose knew they were true - after all she did spend most of her holidays with him.

Rose's eyes fell on the girl. "Hey, isn't that Hannah Finch-Fletchley? As in, Al's girlfriend?", she whispered to Scorpius.

"They're not exactly dating, but yeah, you could say so." Malfoy's smile had turned into a frown.

Rose clenched her teeth, getting fired up. "Oh, I'm going to teach that little..."

"Leave it to me, Red." Scorpius' eyes gleamed in mischief. He pointed his wand at Hannah and whispered "Tarantallegra".

Rose could barely contain her laughter as the dancing-feet jinx took action, making Hannah jump to her feet and start dancing clumsily. Her arms were spread to her sides, trying to keep her balance while her legs kicked and flicked irregularly. Her expression was one of utter fear, while Louis looked like he didn't know whether to help her or start laughing. He was the one who spotted them, Rose and Scorpius holding their stomachs while trying to laugh quietly.

"And I thought it was Fred...", Louis said. "Never thought there'd be another prankster in the family, especially you, Rosie."

He countered the spell and Hannah braced herself on the wall, trying to calm her breathing.

"Actually it was Malfoy's idea, so don't blame me.", Rose told him.

"I think you guys need to thank me. If it was up to Nymphadora you would both have been cursed to the next century.", Scorpius said.

"And with good reason. Please explain to me why you were kissing Al's girlfriend, dear cousin.", Rose said sternly, looking at Louis.

Louis stared at Hannah inquisitively. "I think we should go to bed.", Hannah said, walking past them.

"I'm only avoiding hexing you so Al can do it himself!", Rose shouted after her.

Louis shook his head. He actually looked remorseful. "Things will get awkward, won't they? Will you believe me if I say I didn't know?"

Rose sighed. "I don't know, Louis. It's not up to me anyway, it's Albus you have to explain yourself to."

Louis nodded sullenly. "Right. I'm going to bed too, have to prepare myself for a major blowout from Al." He winked at them and left.

Albus wasn't a person to be aggravated easily, but when he got angry, things got scary. Rose didn't deduct any points from Hufflepuff for either of them. She thought they would get enough punishment from her cousin tomorrow.

"Did you actually not tell them off for staying out late?", Scorpius looked at her in disbelief.

"I don't think I have to tell them anymore. I believe I've built enough of a reputation to scare off anyone trying to sneak out at night. You should see the frightened looks students get when they see or hear me approach after curfew."

Malfoy smirked. "The scary prefect patrolling at night. I think everyone's realized the true person hiding behind this innocent face of yours."

Rose bumped his arm and they continued their rounds. "At least one of us is trying to hide. You don't even bother, scaring people off with that constant glare of yours."

"I'd suggest playing good-cop-bad-cop, but since we both come off as bad cops..."

Rose nudged the door to the bathroom open, checking to see if anyone was inside. She jumped in fright and shock, a scream escaping her lips. A girl from third year lay on the floor, pale and motionless. Rose looked around to check if anyone else was inside. When she verified that they were alone, she crouched down next to the girl and shook her shoulders lightly. A wave of dizziness overcame her at the touch and she retracted her hand sharply.

"Shit. This is probably dark magic.", Scorpius said from behind her. "Let's get out of here, Red. Don't touch anything, I'm going to bring Professor Bell over."

He helped her stand up and led her outside the bathroom, closing the door behind them. "Stay here, and make sure no one else gets in, okay?", he told her while grabbing her arms, as if to keep her concentrated. Rose nodded, and then he was gone.

She still felt dizzy and she slid to the floor, trying to remain conscious. She closed her fingers over her silver pendant, holding it tightly to her chest, afraid to let it go. She remembered that the girl inside the bathroom was still breathing and let out a sigh of relief.

Her own breath was still coming out in gasps. If what Scorpius thought was true, then someone in the school was using the dark arts in the expense of others. She'd always been afraid of dark magic, and now her nightmares were coming true.


	10. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

2nd Year - Summer Holidays

"Don't do it half-assed, Weasley."

Rose looked up from her broomstick and faced Malfoy. It was the afternoon of the 26th of July - her birthday. She was spending the week at the Burrow with her brother and cousins. Scorpius had arrived a couple of days ago, invited over by Albus. She surprisingly didn't mind so much. Probably because there were so many of her cousins around to keep company with. Unlike her, not all of her cousins stayed at their grandparents' house all day. They came and went, sometimes sleeping over, but always returning to their own homes afterwards. Al, Lily and Rose were the constant ones, having spent six days at the Burrow in a row.

Today though, everyone had been present to celebrate her birthday. She was so terribly happy, she thought she could do anything, even fly on a broomstick decently. Even face Scorpius without getting angry.

Still, she couldn't help frowning. Here she was, trying to take off - to no avail - and Scorpius just had to show up, ready to ruin her good mood. Why did it have to be him?

"Don't lecture me, Malfoy. I'm not in the mood." She turned her attention back to her broom, willing it with her eyes to take flight.

Most of her cousins were gone by now, only a few staying back. They were playing a new game of MagiCards her uncle George had invented. It was fast and exciting, getting everyone hooked. The last time Rose saw them before she headed out, they were on their fifty-seventh round, playing relentlessly in the living room. She'd grown bored of losing all the time and she thought no one noticed when she left, but it seemed like Scorpius had.

"Got tired of losing at MagiCards?", he teased her.

"Last I remember, I beat you in three rounds."

"And then you got stumped in the next twenty. Not a good score, Red."

She glared at him and then she focused back on taking off in the air. She would not get angry today. Not over Malfoy. She tried thinking of her presents. It brought a smile back on her face. She loved birthdays, she always got loads of presents from her family. Lily and Hugo had bought her a stylish robe for her next year at Hogwarts, her parents had gifted her an Advanced Potions Kit, James and Fred gave her an Extendable Ear with advice to "use it wisely" followed by winks, and Albus had given her a small silver pendant, which opened to reveal a moving picture of the two of them. She was currently wearing it and had sworn to never take it off.

"You shouldn't look at the ground." Malfoy's voice brought her back to the present. "You're trying to fly, for Merlin's sake, look up. Reach the sky.", he ordered her.

Rose had seen Scorpius fly before, both at the school's games and at the Burrow. They had spent the last couple of days with Quidditch matches, Rose looking on from a tree while her cousins and Scorpius played. She had to admit he was good; if he weren't, he wouldn't have made it to the Slytherin team anyway. He was one of Slytherin's chasers, a rare position for a second-year.

Rose looked up, in an unusual moment of compliance with his words.

"Now focus on a spot you want to reach.", he said.

She focused on a tree branch a few feet above her. She imagined herself taking off. Nothing happened. There were a few moments of silence.

"Do you seriously expect to just reach that branch without pushing off from the ground?" Malfoy's brows were raised, looking at Rose with a smirk.

Rose huffed and pushed with her legs, standing on tip-toe.

"Just jump in the air, Weasley. Are you a pansy or what?"

Rose started flushing in anger. She would show Malfoy she was no coward. She pushed herself once more, her feet leaving the ground. And she started ascending. Her cry of excitement quickly turned into one of fear as she began accelerating really fast, her broom heading for a tree.

She faintly heard Malfoy's voice shouting at her. "Turn left! Don't go for the tree!" She turned her broom sharply, now gaining height as well as speed. She couldn't control her broom, and in her attempt to steer herself between the trees, she collided with a branch, hugging it while her broomstick continued on its own, her feet dangling in the air. She heard Malfoy's laughter echoing in the forest, and she looked down, her face contorting with fear as she judged the distance between her and the ground.

"Just jump, Weasley!", Malfoy shouted.

"Are you nuts? It's twenty feet. I'm never going to make the jump!"

When she heard his laughter, she realized he was teasing her. She heard him summon her broomstick and a few moments later he was beside her, making room for her behind him on the broom.

"Hop on, Weasley."

Rose swung her legs over the broom and slipped her arms around Scorpius' waist.

"You okay?", he asked her, turning his head to look at her from the corner of his eyes.

"I am never flying again.", Rose said, shaking her head.

Scorpius chuckled. "Hold on tight, Red.", he said, facing forward and hunching a bit lower on the broom, which started slowly moving forward.

The realization suddenly dawned on Rose. "We are not flying, Malfoy. Just put me down.", she ordered him, fear coating her words.

"You're going to love this, trust me, Red." Rose could make out the smile in his voice. Before she could protest he started accelerating, gaining both height and speed. She held on tighter, feeling his muscles work under his thin shirt. She would never admit it to him, but she was mesmerized by his movements, strong and sure, steering the broom with confidence through the trees and avoiding branches in the last moment. He was in his element, flying as if it were in his nature. She wished she could be like him, brave and confident in the air. For once it wasn't jealousy that she felt towards him. It was admiration.

She quickly found herself relaxing behind him, enjoying the ride. Soon he steered them above the trees, giving her an aerial tour of the Burrow and the fields around it. She'd never experienced anything as magnificent. At some point, Scorpius stopped the broom completely, immobilizing them midair above the Quidditch field.

"Woo-hooooo!" Rose cried out, lifting her hands in the air and looking at the first stars appearing on the sky, supported on the broom only by her legs.

Scorpius shifted to get a better look at her. "Told you you'd like it. Consider it my birthday present.", he said with a smile.

Scorpius hadn't given her anything for her birthday, not that she expected him to. Even if he did, she would never accept anything from him, it would probably be something poisoned or cursed. So she was naturally astounded as the realization hit her. He gave her something. Not just something, but the best flight she ever had. Without expecting anything in return. It was a gift. Probably one of the best ones she was ever given. And it wasn't even something solid, something she could physically hold on to. It was an experience.

Until then, she had never trusted Malfoy. She was never sure of his motives, his character was a mystery to her. She still hadn't figured him out, but she'd found out one thing about him she was certain of. He was a good person. No matter how much he irritated her, teased her and enraged her, she knew he would never hurt her.

She hadn't noticed she was still looking at his smile until she lost her balance. She tried adjusting herself on the broom, her hands reaching for Scorpius. Malfoy reached back, his arm holding her tight, steadying her on the broom.

"Whoa, you really are dangerous in the air, Weasley."

Rose let out a laugh in relief. "Were you worried about me, Hyperion?", she asked him with a smirk.

"Don't get your hopes up, Nymphadora. Just worried I'd be charged with murder if you fell off and crashed.", he said, removing his arm and grabbing the broom tightly. "Now, hold on tight, we're going to land like champions."

Rose was already holding on to him for dear life, and before she could contemplate what he said, Scorpius brought the broom vertically and dived for the ground. Rose screamed.

They were only a few feet above the ground when Scorpius tugged the broom sharply upwards, stopping their fall and smoothly landing on the ground. Rose fell off the broom and lay on her back, looking up at the sky in shock, her breath coming out in gasps.

"You could have killed us both, Malfoy! What was that?"

"It's called a nose-dive, Weasley, and had you screamed in my ear any louder I might just have done exactly that.", he said, putting a hand on his ear.

Rose looked at him and started laughing. It was the sort of laugh that comes after a stressful experience, and Scorpius soon joined in.

Rose didn't know it then, but she would stop trying to fly after that day. Not because of the shock, but because nothing she did could compare to the thrill she'd just felt. It would all be a disappointment.

Rose reached for Al's pendant, holding it tightly in her hand. Scorpius sat down cross-legged and stared at her.

"Is that Al's gift?", he asked. Rose nodded. "Can I see it?"

Rose took it off and gave it to him. Scorpius turned it around in his hands and opened it, looking at the picture inside. Then he took out the picture and put it in his pocket.

"What are you doing?", Rose yelled in sudden aggravation. She sat up and tried to reach for her pendant.

"Relax, Weasley.", Malfoy said, holding it out of her reach. He took out something from his pocket and placed it in the pendant. He closed it and slowly slipped the necklace over her head.

"Happy birthday, Red.", he said quietly. Then he got to his feet and left.

Rose was staring at him until he disappeared out of sight. Then she looked at the pendant. She opened it and looked inside. There was a picture in it. Not the previous one, with her and Albus. It was a new one, with the three of them: Rose, Albus and Scorpius.


End file.
